


The World Could Be Ours

by musicals_musicals



Series: Newsies Stuff [17]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - The Greatest Showman, Angst, F/F, Homophobia, I don't actually care about the rest of the movie, I'm trying really hard not to just quote the song, Kinda?, Rewrite the Stars, anti-Semitism, gotta love the 1800s, instead its like 1990s homophobia, its not period typical homophobia because they aren't killed on sight, period typical anti-semitism, that really isnt a tag?, where its frowned upon but not necessarily illegal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:13:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21975655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicals_musicals/pseuds/musicals_musicals
Summary: Sarah knew it was a bad idea to go out with Katherine. They would never be able to be together, by pretending they could be it would just hurt more when it fell apart. Katherine can talk all she wants about changing the world, but Sarah knows that some things just aren't possible. They will never be possible.
Relationships: David Jacobs & Sarah Jacobs, Sarah Jacobs & Katherine Plumber Pulitzer, Sarah Jacobs/Katherine Plumber Pulitzer
Series: Newsies Stuff [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1116075
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	The World Could Be Ours

**Author's Note:**

> my google doc was titled: "newsbians but its 18-whatever, people are slightly more chill about gay people, and theyre part of a circus" and honestly that's everything you need to know about this fic.

It wasn’t an overstatement to say that Katherine's jaw dropped when Sarah walked through the door of the theater. Her dark hair was pulled up in an intricate braid, with small shiny clips contrasting in a way that almost looked like stars. The magenta dress that she was wearing fit her perfectly and contrasted beautifully with her hair "Sarah you look-"

“Katherine” Sarah’s nervous smile was accompanied by a blush that broke out across her cheeks. She took the hand that Katherine offered and stood next to her “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“I hope so” Now that they were closer Katherine could see the necklace that Sarah was wearing. It was the same one that she usually wore, silver with a small star of david.

They walked up the elegant staircase arm in arm, meeting Katherine’s parents at the top. Her father’s pinched expression sadly had become a normality recently. The disappointment coming from every direction. This time it had a hint of something Katherine couldn’t pinpoint

“Katherine” He said, nodding slightly in greeting.

“Father,” This was the part Katherine had always hated about these events, the formalities that she had to exchange with everyone, including her parents. “Mother. This is Sarah Jacobs”

Sarah held out a hand “It’s wonderful to meet you”

Neither of Katherine’s parents took the offered hand. The silence stretched on and Sarah’s already nervous expression became more dejected with a hint of acceptance, as if she had been expecting this. Katherine’s mother broke the silence “Katherine I need to talk to you in private” She took Katherine’s hand and led her away from Sarah without so much as an apology. Katherine’s father following close behind. “This must be payback of some kind because I refuse to believe you would really bring  _ her _ here”

“What?” Katherine asked, Sarah looked right in place with her outfit standing next to other patrons.

“Is that girl jewish?” Her father asked. The look they had been sporting since they first saw Sarah finally landed in Katherine’s mind. Disgust.

“Father I-” Katherine fumbled with her words. She had been expecting a bit of pushback but this seemed ridiculous. Surely her parents could understand that Katherine loved Sarah?

“You couldn’t bring that nice Delancey boy from next door” Her mother muttered shooting another look Sarah’s way. Of course, their next door neighbor who Katherine had gone out with once before she found out that he was worse than even the privileged boys that had attended her grade school. Katherine thought that her mother would understand why she would never go out with him again.

“Mother you of all people-” Katherine started. This time she was cut off by a hand on her shoulder.

“Katherine, thank you for inviting me but I’m going to leave” Sarah said, shrinking under the looks that Katherine’s parents were giving her. “Goodbye”

“Wait, Sarah” Katherine could only watch helplessly as Sarah ran down the stairs and out of the theater. She turned to her parents “I hope you’re happy with yourselves”

Her father laughed and ignored the anger that Katherine was directing his way “It serves her right”

“Her kind isn’t welcome here” Her mother agreed leaning back against her father’s side. “We should go take our seats"

Katherine didn’t even bother responding before she left. Maybe she would be able to catch Sarah before it was too late.

\-----

Sarah felt the tension drain out of her shoulders as soon as she arrived in the room she shared with Davey. She sat at her desk in front of the mirror and began systematically pulling the pins out of her hair until she could tie it up in a bun. She refused to cry. What was yet another small minded couple in the grand scheme of things. Katherine was never hers anyway, they would never be able to be together. 

She had just put on the outfit she wore to practice and was wrapping her wrists to keep them from getting sprained or burned when Katherine arrived. The other woman had discarded her coat somewhere outside and was left in just her white button up and pants. She ran into the arena, her eyes searching until they landed on Sarah who refused to make eye contact. She continued wrapping her wrist from her seat on the second step of the benches. 

“Sarah,” Katherine dropped to her knees on the lowest bench and looked up at Sarah who still didn’t make eye contact.  _ It’s easier this way _ . Katherine hesitated slightly when Sarah didn’t respond, but her next words were sure and steady “They’re small minded people”

The sentence hit harder than Katherine probably intended, the same words that Sarah had been thinking previously echoing in her head. Ignoring the urge to look up Sarah switched to wrapping her other wrist pulling away when Katherine reached out as if to take her hand. Sarah finally made eye contact and she would never admit that it still gave her a small rush of warmth when Katherine looked her in the eye, acknowledged her as a person worthy of respect.

“Why do you care what they think?” Katherine’s eyes were searching but still blissfully oblivious in a way that only came from someone born into wealth and privilege.

“It’s not just them” Sarah was ashamed of how her voice shook, the repressed tears making an appearance when it was least convenient. Katherine still didn’t seem to understand, her look questioning and naive. “You’ve never had someone look at you the way your parents looked at me” Katherine still seemed to be missing the point, seemed to be unaware that if they got together Katherine’s life would change forever. Gone would be the status left to her by her parents, gone would be the respect she garnered from anyone she came across on the street. Sarah refused to have a hand in ruining Katherine’s life. When the other woman still didn't understand Sarah decided to lay it out for her, as clear as she could so that Katherine could run away. She could get as far away from Sarah as possible, just like everyone else. “The way everyone would look at us, it might as well be written in the stars”

Sarah stood up and walked away before Katherine could answer, before she could make a feeble excuse to leave. Sarah started to set up the ropes, she could get practice while she mourned what would never be.

“But I like you anyway. You. Not someone else” Katherine called, her voice echoing through the space. Sarah stopped untying the rope and Katherine took it as an invitation to keep talking “It’s not a secret, or something I’m trying to hide”

“Kath-” Sarah warned, continuing to prepare the rope she had picked up. At this rate the other woman was going to say something she was going to regret. Something that couldn’t be taken back.

“I know you want me too” Katherine continued, walking closer. “I see things, I see how you look at me, how you’ve always looked at me. We want to be together. Stop pretending our hands are tied, like there’s something stopping us from loving each other”

“Don’t be naive” Sarah spat out the words with all the anger she had. The anger for Katherine’s parents. Her anger at the world. Maybe if she just ignored Katherine the other woman would go away. Sarah could cry about the loss alone before bouncing back like she always did.

“You keep acting like it’s not in the cards, as if fate is pulling us apart in some unstoppable force” Katherine had been walking closer and she looked in between the pillars that had been holding the rope in order to look Sarah in the eye. Her expression was painfully open. Sarah walked away. “Like our relationship is always going to be out of reach” Katherine paused, thinking through her words before she said them “Like you’re always out of reach from me”

Sarah moved to the next rope, unwrapping it as quickly as she could. She didn’t want to listen to this, didn’t want to let Katherine get her hopes up when they would just be crushed soon. But even though Sarah knew that Katherine would stop the second Sarah told her to, the words wouldn’t come.

“-but you’re here, and I’m here. So what’s stopping us if we decide to be each other’s destiny?” Katherine left the question open, standing in silence, the only sound coming from the rope in Sarah’s hands. She finally got it off the hook and stepped back, checking to make sure it was properly connected. “Why can’t we rewrite the stars?” In a second Katherine was standing in front of Sarah, their eyes meeting once again.

Sarah couldn’t look away. She looked into the caramel brown eyes that had been haunting her for weeks now, looking for a reason -any reason- to run far away.

“Say you were made to be mine? Like the soulmates they talk about in stories. Sarah I swear to you if I know one thing, it’s that you and I could be soulmates” Katherine stepped closer and Sarah stepped back, it was like a dance leading them to the center of the ring. “Nothing would be able to keep us apart. You would be the one I was always meant to find. Just like right now” 

Katherine’s hand brushed across Sarah’s arm and despite her better judgement she turned around. Standing in the curve of Katherine’s arms Sarah didn’t want to be anywhere else. All she could think of was the heartbreak she was opening herself up to so she walked away, pulling the rope behind her.

The rope pulled taut and Sarah turned to find Katherine holding onto the middle “No one could tell us that we are supposed to be something, or not supposed to be something else” Sarah walked back over to take the rope and Katherine spun her in a smooth movement. “Leave it all behind. We can say that the world can be ours. Tonight”

“You always have been good with words” Sarah smiled at Katherine and tugged on the rope releasing the sand bag which fell, pulling her up into the air. Sarah grabbed the hoop which was already hung up and looked down where Katherine was looking around, unable to spot Sarah in the dark. “But you really think it’s that easy?” Sarah pulled herself into the hoop and it fell slowly with her weight.

“Yes,” Katherine locked eyes with Sarah and the part that hurt the most was that Katherine didn’t even know she was lying.

“I want nothing more than to run to you, to be with you” The ring finally reached the ground and Katherine walked forward to rest her forehead on Sarah’s.

“Then do it” Katherine whispered, she took Sarah’s hands and lifted them, continuing the dance they had fallen into.

“There are mountains and doors that we can’t walk through” Sarah spun the hoop around Katherine and sat in it once again, enjoying the way Katherine’s eyes followed her no matter what. “I get that you can’t stop wondering why, because here we can just be us” Sarah did a simple spin and Katherine grabbed the hoop when it finished. Sarah flipped over and pulled herself up to hang upside down, her legs wrapped against the rope “But when we go outside, it will always be the same, just like your parents tonight” The hoop started to rise and Katherine held onto the bottom until her grip failed. She fell and rolled smoothly, absorbing the impact before she could get hurt. Sarah continued, determined to get through to Katherine “You’ll just wake up one day and see it was always hopeless. Then you will leave.”

“That isn’t true,” Katherine called. Even though it was still dark Sarah couldn’t shake the thought that Katherine could see her “I would never do that”

“No one can rewrite the stars, Katherine” Sarah climbed out of the hoop and over to the side rail where she had another rope set up. She got a good grip on it and jumped off, swinging past Katherine before gravity pulled her back. Instead of jumping out of the way Katherine caught Sarah in a hug, the momentum sending them both to the ground where they rolled until Katherine was on her back and Sarah was kneeling above her. She briefly considered that maybe it was a sign, that Katherine was willing to catch her despite everything, but she dismissed the thought. It was useless to get her hopes up. “Everything is keeping us apart”

“Not everything” Katherine reached out and her hand brushed over Sarah’s cheek.

“I know you think differently” Sarah pulled on the rope with all her strength, and heard the sound of the sandbag flying up “But I’m not the one you were meant to find” The weight hit the top of its path and fell, pulling Sarah up into the air and giving her the distance she needed to clear her mind. She watched Katherine’s dazed expression while the rope flew up, watched how it turned determined at the last second and Katherine grabbed the loop using the weight to pull herself to her feet. “It’s not up to you or me, not when everyone is telling us different”

“Yes it can be” Katherine insisted. Sarah took the chance to show off, doing turns and loops while she was suspended in the air. “I’m not giving up on you”

Sarah fumbled and told herself that the only reason she let herself fall all the way into Katherine’s arms was because of the warmth that bloomed in her chest at those words.  _ Maybe she’s serious _ . Sarah’s traitorous mind insisted.  _ You should give her a chance _ . “How do you expect to rewrite the stars? You want to change the entire world? How?”

“I’m a journalist Saz, that’s what I do” Sarah leaned her back against Katherine’s chest and gave her just the ghost of a kiss before spinning away. She pulled on the rope once again, ready to pull herself back into the air so that she could breathe and Katherine would stop making sense.

“It’s impossible Kath” Sarah said, ready to grab the rope as soon as it hit the peak of its path.

“Nothing is impossible” Katherine pulled Sarah tightly into a hug, lifting her up and grabbing to rope at the correct time to pull them both into the air. They fell far too soon, the weight too much for the single sandbag. “We can fly and fall together”

Sarah’s feet hit solid ground and she stepped back. She had to do what was best for both of them.  _ It would just end in heartbreak _ . Her mind repeated once again. “I would love to be with you-” Katherine looked hopeful for a second before Sarah continued “-but we’d just fall apart”

This time when Sarah walked away Katherine didn’t stop her. She tossed the wrappings for her wrist on her desk and sat down, letting the tears flow.

“Sarah why are you back- oh” Davey pulled up his chair and hugged her tightly “What happened?”

Sarah sniffed and wiped her eyes “The same thing that always happens”

**Author's Note:**

> now that ive listened to rewrite the stars like 40 times in three days I need to actually go be productive. Find me on tumblr [@musicals-musicals](https://musicals-musicals.tumblr.com/) and if you want to get crazy reblog the post I made about this fic! (part two might be coming soon but no promises)


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